Black Bean Burgers!!

Since I didn't share anything last week, I can tell you of my grocery trip to the Commissary last Thursday. My monthly grocery bill came out to $120! Before coupons it was $167, so I feel like I did pretty good for a last minute thrown together list.

One thing I bought was a bag of dry black beans. If you didn't know, that bag makes A LOT of black beans! I had beans and rice for dinner and lunch the next day and still had plenty of beans left over, so I decided to branch out a little and try something I've been wanting to try for a while, black bean burgers! Let me tell you, they were delicious! Here is the recipe I sort of used. I say sort of because I'm not really good at following recipes. I usually just guess at it. :) That probably drives a lot of people crazy, but for some reason, I just really don't like to measure food! Anyway: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/homemade-black-bean-veggie-burgers/detail.aspx Follow as much of it as you want or change it up a little or a lot like I did! There's plenty of other recipes out there also! They were super easy, super tasty, and super good for you!

I made only two patties because I though Aaron wouldn't dare try them. Well, guess what! I made him try it, and he actually liked it! WHOAH. What happened to my husband people??? Anyway, I had one for dinner last night on a wheat bun topped with Spinach and a little chili sauce, and I had the other for lunch today wrapped in a Spinach tortilla and topped with Spinach and Chili Sauce. I personally preferred the Spinach tortilla better. (Maybe because I am a little obsessed with Spinach! Okay, enough already. Here are the pictures:

Last Night: (don't mind my fine china :) I try to have as little dishes as possible when Aaron is working nights and I'm alone with Emma)

And for lunch today: I wrapped it up after the picture, of course!

Busy, busy!

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. :) We sold our car, so I was doing some paperwork for several hours, and I came home a packed more boxes. EEEEk. So today I will try to include Wednesday & Thursday's posts together!

So long sweet Cobalt, you were good to us (for the most part). Aaron's getting a Jeep now, and he's ecstatic.

Last Wednesday, I promised I would talk about what other exercises I do besides running. Well, I changed my mind! I have big plans for ordering P90x or TurboFire when we move and doing those, so if you'd like you can look into it! I've heard great success stories from both programs. I have been continuing to run, and my endurance has definitely built up since I started! I am still no runner, but I see myself improving, which is an accomplishment in my book!

One tip I'd like to give for being a little healthier is something I have done. Stay at home mamas: TURN THE TV OFF! I've never been much of a tv watcher, but since staying home with Emma I found myself watching the game shows and news stations. This lead to me sitting a lot more during the day, so now I just keep the television OFF completely. It keeps me from taking a little break on the couch, and that means I am up and moving a lot more. Even the little bit of moving and not sitting on the couch is a step in the right direction. It is no diet/weightloss solution, of course, but it is good for you!

Now, Thursday focus: Well, guess what? I have failed you guys again. I had planned to have a dress and diaper made by today. Ugh. I have a dress almost completed, but it will not be done until probably tomorrow. Maybe I will intrude on Friday's topic to post a picture? We'll see. I've been so busy, but I did get around to finishing a bib I started like two months ago. hehe. I'm not completely happy with it, but I still think it's cute. It also has a matching taggy that I made as well, but guess what? I packed them both up not thinking about it. So I'm pretty sure it would be counter productive to go unpack just for a picture. I will definitely share pictures though!

My New Love: Prefolds!

Yes, I said it prefolds are my new favorite type of diapers! You may say why in the world do you like those ugly things, or if you know nothing about them, you're going, what the heck is that? I am going to answer both questions.

Prefolds are the original cloth diaper. You can generally buy the Gerber brand prefolds in stores everywhere, but these are NOT diaper worthy, no matter what Gerber claims! Prefolds are a rectangular piece of fabric (cotton, most of the time) that has a thicker layer in the middle for more absorbency. They used to be pinned together with diaper pins, but that was before the invention of the Snappi (a really awesome contraption)! They come in many different sizes and material for you to choose what works best for you!

Now, on to why I like them:
-Cheap, cheap, cheap! Prefolds are virtually the cheapest way to cloth diaper. They start out at only $1.00!
-EASY- Yes, I said easy! I mean this in two different ways. First, they are easy to wash and keep clean. Prefolds are the least likely to cause you problems as far as stink/ammonia/washing routines. Also, once you learn to use them, they are super easy and fun!
-Can dress them up any way you want! They are usually just plain cloth which is so not fun! You can dye them, sew embellishments on them, etc. You name it! I haven't done this yet, but plan to after the move so be expecting some pictures of my finished products!
-They are trim fitting, especially if you have the correct size!

Have I mentioned these things are CHEAP! I like Green Mountain Diapers Unbleached prefolds. Check them out at Greenmountaindiapers.com for them. They also sell other types of diapers. Cottonbabies.com also has some good prefolds!

So, you may ask how in the world you work a prefold. Well, I was going to make a video, but little Emma is NOT in a good mood today, so no video from me, but there are plenty of videos on Youtube! My favorite fold is the Jelly Roll, which is a little complicated at first, but it works the best for us. There is also the angel wing, bikini twist, etc.

Prefolds need a cover! They are obviously not waterproof since they are just cotton, but you can get covers anywhere and everywhere! Now that you know all about them, here are some pictures!

Gather your materials! Above are covers. The top two are made by me and are fleece. The right one is called a fleece soaker and has to be pulled up over the diaper. Ask me, and I'll make some for you for cheap! :) The bottom is not made by me. It is a Bummis Whisper Wrap. 

Below is the prefold and a Snappi that holds the diaper together. These cost like three bucks a piece.

I took a picture of the back of the Snappi so you could see how it works. It just grabs on to the material. Easy as pie!

Here is Emma modeling the prefold and Snappi in a Jelly Roll fold!

And here it is with the cover! 

Still have questions? Feel free to ask! Next week, I will talk about cloth wipes!

Oh Emma....

Can anyone tell me why I have the most feisty little one on earth? I've been told that God knew I could handle a baby with a temper like this, so he gave her to me! In that sense, I am thankful my ill-tempered child is not with another family who could otherwise not handle her, but I sometimes dream about what it would be like to have an easy baby. I guess if she wasn't difficult, she wouldn't be our Emma. :)

We had her 6 month check up last week, and as many of you know, we have been begging for an off base referral for the longest time and finally got one! Well, I LOVED the doctor!! He was incredibly awesome and didn't tell me I was doing everything wrong. He respected the things that I wanted to do with Emma that he did not do with his own children. Oh, and he complemented my sewing skills since she was wearing a diaper made by me. :) Anyway, Emma is weighing in at 18lbs, which is the 90th percentile, and she is 26.5 inches long, which is the 70th percentile. She finally hit a growth spurt and grew in length! Thank goodness! She was stuck at 25.5 for like 2 months. Poor girl. Doctor says she may be taller than we originally thought.

Right now, she's got something wrong with her eye? It's not pink eye because her eyeball isn't pink. I'm thinking maybe it's a sty, but she won't let me look close enough! Ughhhhh.

Anyway, she loves the outdoors, so we are enjoying these cooler temperatures we've been having these last two weeks in Northern California! Here she is enjoying herself under the tree in our front yard today.

P.S. Her new favorite thing to do is gnaw on celery. :)

Giveaway for your liking!

Okay friends, if I haven't yet convinced you to cloth diaper with my cloth diaper Tuesday posts, maybe a giveaway of a diaper will convince you to try. It's a good opportunity to try it out or add to your stash if you're already a cloth diapering mama! Feel free to share this with your friends, and follow this mama's blog! She does giveaways and will soon be a fellow Beale mama. Check it out here:

http://thedutcheradventures.blogspot.com/2011/07/smartipants-cloth-diaper-review-and.html

Not today...

I will not be sharing recipes or grocery trips today as I was woken up at 5 this morning to deal with one of the worst things ever. We had to put our Coco to sleep, and I am sort of a wreck, but here are a few of my favorite pictures to remember him. 

Budgeting and crafting

Well folks, after nearly two months on the waiting list, we have a house!!! Yahooo. I am excited not only because we are so ready to be out of this house, but because once we get on base and have no bill that fluctuate, I'll really be able to budget better. It's so hard to budget when you have electricty, etc. that fluctuates every month! Our biggest budget issue is eating out. We really love to eat out. This could also be a getting healthy issue. Eeeekkk. So when we move on base, we will really be eating out a lot less because there really isn't much to choose from on base! We are thankful for that for sure! It will help our waistline and our bank account, and those are two things that could always use improving. The house we're moving into is smaller than the one we live in now. It's only a 2 bedroom, but really and truly, we don't have visitors anyway being all the way out here, so we the 2 bedrooms works. The living room is spacious, and the dining area is large enough for half to be dedicated to the kitchen table and half to be dedicated to either the computer or my crafts. I think Aaron and I are going to have a war over that half. heheheh. :) The laundry room is large which is where I could do crafts, but I don't want to be toooooo crowded in there. We'll see once we move in. The kitchen is tiny, bummer, but that does mean less to clean! The bedrooms are decent as well and both upstairs! So here is a picture for your viewing.

Speaking of crafting, I was at the Airman's Attic earlier this week where I found a shirt that said Fight Cruelty, Not Dogs. Well, you know me! I had to have it except it was a size XS, and we all know I am no XS! Even if i was in super good shape, my body build would NEVER allow me to wear an XS, so I turned it into a dress for Emma instead. I cut it up, made it a little smaller and shorter and added some straps and a ruffle from some fabric I had lying around. I am super happy with how it came out. Check it:

Obviously Emma loves it. :) hehe. Next week I hope to have another dress made and possibly a diaper also. I will share whatever it is, of course!

Exercise?!?

I think finding time for exercise is one of every mom's biggest challenges. I know it's really hard for me to find time around keeping up with the house, the errands, and a VERY needy baby. I've come to the conclusion that a daily schedule really helps me to establish a routine and keep up with all of the things I need to do. One thing I have done is eliminated the amount of things I do around the house on a daily basis. I am so OCD about the house and have been since I've had my own place, but now that I have a baby, I have learned I can't be as OCD because I just won't get anything else done for me. Exercising is something I want to do for me to improve myself.

One thing I have started doing is jogging. Oh people, let me tell you, after 9 months of pregnancy and a few months of getting back to your normal self again, you are super out of shape. Or at least I AM! I am really starting to work on it now by jogging everyday of the week. I do this in the mornings while the temperature is still pretty good out, and Emma is usually in a good mood in the mornings so she will sit in the jogger. My first goal is a 5k. I'd really like to start doing these regularly. There are several held in the local area, and the base does one every Wednesday morning. I know that a 5k really isn't that long, but I am NOT an avid runner. I don't enjoy it that much, but I know it's good for me! So here is my Jeep brand jogger that I got used for only 40 bucks! It was definitely a good investment.

So, if you're having trouble finding time for exercise, plan it into your day. You are more likely to actually do it if you actually set a time for it. And if you're at Beale, come running with me! I'd love it. Next week, I'll talk about other exercises I do!

Pocket Diapers

Since today is cloth diaper Tuesday, I am going to focus on a specific type of diapers and a couple different brands. Today's type: Pocket diapers.

These are the diapers I started out with. They are really easy as pie (the reason I started with them, duh!). You have the diaper shell and an insert. The diaper shell has a pocket to stuff the insert in, easy, huh? The insert absorbs the moisture and the lining of the shell helps to keep baby feeling dry. If you're considering cloth diapering and you want super easy, I suggest pocket dipes! Here are some examples here:

Top left is a Kawaii Pure and Natural (Good for babies up to 18 months ish)

Top Right is a One Size BumGenius (fits approx. 10-35lbs)

Bottom is a Sunbaby (also fits approx. 10-35lbs)

My favorite of these is the BG, but it's the most expensive also, so budget friendly options are the Kawaii and Sunbaby!

 The pocket and insert going inside it

 and the two separate pieces

So simple! Hopefully I can convince someone to cloth diaper with these posts! Next week, I'm going to talk about Prefolds and Covers (my new favorites)!

Half Birthday

Yep, Emma is half a year old! Can you believe it? Because I totally can't. It's amazing how time flies when you're having fun.

Some updates on Emma: We had her Upper GI done last week, and it was miserable. I really hated to see her going through it, but the good news, NO SURGERY! The test results were normal, so now we are just going to have to try medicines to see what works for her. Let's hope we find something quick!

Our newest issue: Sleep. Okay, it's really not new. It's more like 6 months old. Emma is a terrible sleeper, and I know I have said this before, but it hasn't gotten any better. I am looking for solutions! I am going to be doing some research on what we could be doing that's keeping her from sleeping to try out some new things to see if they work or not. If not, I guess I'll just have to live with it! We already have an established routine at bedtime. She eats plenty during the day, including solids! She has a noise machine for white noise while she's sleeping. She will NOT sleep on her back. She sleeps on her belly. I don't know what else to do! So, I'm looking for solutions. I'm taking suggestions if anyone has them!

Speaking of suggestions. The last thing I want to say is WAY too often I see people with pictures of babies in their car seats, and they aren't properly using the car seat. I am a car seat safety guru, so PLEASE if you have questions about car seat safety, I will be glad to answer them. Better safe than sorry people! Here is some proper usage of Emma's seat buckles!

Coupons and Peanut Butter

Totally random title, right?
Well, today is about groceries and recipes. Though i don't have any recipes for you this week (I mean, unless you need a recipe for spaghetti or tacos), I do have a few things to share!

I have recently started couponing. When I say I am a couponer, I am NOT an extreme couponing kind of person. I, personally, find people who get things just because they can get them for free WASTEFUL! Since I don't want to be wasteful, I still shop for the same things that I used to, but I go crazy looking for coupons for those items before I shop! I started doing this a couple months ago, and this month will be my third shopping trip using coupons (I only grocery shop once a month, besides bread, etc.). On my first trip, I only saved $25, but I thought that was a good start! Last month, I bumped it up to $45, making my monthly grocery trip only cost $140! This month I'm hoping to make it $55, but I won't shop until the 14th. To some, this may not be impressive, but I feel like it's great since I am being REALISTIC! :) I gather coupons throughout the month from the Sunday paper and various coupon sites online and store them in this handy little thing:

It's not super cute, but it does the trick! It has little dividers so that I can organize them by when they expire or what type of coupon they are. So, take my advice and start clipping coupons. It's fun!

Next, I want to share this deliciously awesome peanut butter I got from the grocery store this week when I was shopping for bread. I have been wanting to eat more "natural" things and slowly adding little things to the cabinet as I go, so when I saw this, I thought well, I'll try it! I didn't mean to get the crunchy kind, darn it, but it's still delicious and a lot less sticky than regular peanut butter. Best part, it's free of hydrogenated oils! So, try it!

TERRIBLE at this!

Yep, I am OFFICIALLY terrible at blogging, once again. We have had soooo much going on with Emma lately that I really haven't been able to blog, but I am back now! And I really promise to try harder this time, as long as Emma stays healthy! I will start blogging for real tomorrow, but I am still going to take weekends off from this page so that I can spend time with the family!